‘The Hunger Games’ TV Spots: Katniss Plays ‘Shoot the Piggy’

Lionsgate’s adaptation of The Hunger Games is nearly ready for its theatrical debut, and we’re starting to see some TV commercials for the film filter onto the airwaves – commercials which continue the carefully plotted marketing campaign for the movie.

The Hunger Games promo materials – specifically the trailers and images – have teased everything from the various characters featured in the film to the futuristic dystopia in which the story is set – all while tip-toeing around the titular event itself, a battle royal in which twenty-four teens battle to the death.

These new Hunger Games TV spots essentially cover the same ground – giving a us a look at the basic setup for the story, which involves District 12 teenager Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) stepping up to save her little sister from the battle arena. Katniss is then shipped off to the futuristic capital city and into a whirlwind of training and media promotion, before being shoved into the arena to face…what, we don’t yet know (unless you’ve read the books, of course).

What the spots do offer in the way of new footage is a look at Katniss using her trademark bow and arrow skills to get the judges’ attention during her Hunger Games training session. Check that, and some other new footage out in the Hunger Games TV spots below:

Director Gary Ross (Seabiscuit, Pleasantville) has already proven that he has the talent for compelling drama, and though his films haven’t been “action flicks” per se, the racing scenes in Seabiscuit alone prove that the man knows how to make sequences of physical action and movement look just as exciting and compelling. Holding back on some of the more intense and/or action-packed moments that Katniss faces in the ring is a risky ploy (it would help convince people to buy tickets), but it might just pay off if audiences come away wowed and surprised by what they see.

As for holding back on the romantic angle of the story involving Katniss, her District 12 co-tribute Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) and her best friend back home, Gale (Liam Hemsworth)… Well, it’s probably a good way to avoid those annoying Twilightcomparisons, we would imagine.